THE Brisbane Heat feel Ben Cutting is unlucky to be dropped from the Australian team, but they will take him back with open arms tonight.

Cutting will play for the Heat in tonight's Big Bash semi-final against the Melbourne Renegades after being dropped from the Australian 50-over team following a solid debut against Sri Lanka on Sunday.

Cutting scored 27 in a low-scoring match and took 1-42 from 10 overs in Australia's landslide loss at the Adelaide Oval.

Australia have failed to release Mitchell Johnson to play what would have been his sole match for the Heat, but Cutting's return will help offset the Renegades' acquisition of their captain and barnstorming batsman Aaron Finch.

"While we are excited to have Cuttsy back it is a bit of a shame he is not still in the Australian team," Heat captain James Hopes said.

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"I thought his batting was impressive in a tough position and he bowled well. I thought he might still be around the (Australian) squad. It is unfortunate but I cannot imagine it will be the last game he plays for Australia."

The selfless Hopes demoted himself from opener before the last game against Hobart which featured a powerhouse opening stand between Luke Pomersbach and Peter Forrest and he will again bat down the order.

"Fozz has been batting really well and to be honest I have been hit and miss throughout the whole tournament," Hopes said.

"He is the premier batsman in the state set-up so we thought why not give him the opportunity to bat for 20 overs."

Pomersbach will play despite being thumped on the foot during his powerhouse 82 off 42 balls against the Hurricanes.

The injury was still tender and he did not bat in the nets yesterday as a precaution against getting hit again.

"He has been really valuable to us and has turned things around and over the last six months has been having a bigger say in the set-up," Hopes said of Pomersbach.

Pomersbach came to Queensland after being sacked by Western Australia for a series of disciplinary offences, but appears to have turned his life around.

Containing Finch will be a major priority for the Heat tonight for only Perth's Shaun Marsh has scored more runs than the 309 Finch has managed from seven games this competition.

Meanwhile in-form batsman Mike Hussey says he understands why he was dumped from Australia's one-day team, but is still disappointed by the decision.

Hussey, who announced his Test retirement earlier this month, was keen to play in the home one-day series against Sri Lanka and the West Indies before stepping down from international ranks altogether.

But with national selectors already sizing up candidates for the 2015 World Cup, Hussey was told his services were no longer required, despite the 37-year-old plundering 527 runs at an average of 75.3 in his six Tests this summer.

Hussey was sorely missed in Australia's eight-wicket loss to Sri Lanka at Adelaide Oval on Sunday.

But Hussey's axing is good news for the Perth Scorchers, who will welcome back the star veteran for tomorrow night's Twenty20 semi-final showdown against the Melbourne Stars at the WACA Ground.

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